BJP loses Darbhanga MLC seat to RJD in final stage of counting

PATNA: The opposition RJD on Thursday won the Darbhanga Graduates’ constituency of the Bihar legislative council with its candidate Anil Kumar Jha defeating sitting MLC and BJP nominee Sarvesh Kumar after a dramatic shift in preferential votes during the final stage of counting.Officials at the counting centre at Khel Bhawan in Darbhanga told TOI Jha was declared elected after taking a lead of 533 votes over Kumar at the end of the 39th round, following the elimination of 38 candidates. A total of 40 candidates contested the seat, where polling was held on Oct 23.Darbhanga divisional commissioner-cum-returning officer Himanshu Kumar Rai told TOI over the phone Jha was declared elected on Thursday after completion of all formalities and receipt of the necessary approval from the Election Commission.Until the end of the 38th round, the BJP candidate was ahead. Kumar had secured 20,033 votes, while Jha had polled 19,029, giving the BJP nominee a lead of 1,004 votes. The result changed in the 39th round after Mohammad Imtiyaz Noorani of Jan Suraaj, the third-leading candidate, was eliminated.Officials said voters who had marked Noorani as their first preference had also indicated second preferences for Kumar and Jha. Of these transferable votes, 2,900 went to Jha, while 1,363 were added to Kumar’s tally. The transfer gave Jha the decisive lead. With only the two leading candidates remaining in the count, the returning officer declared Jha elected.Kumar congratulated Jha at the counting centre soon after the result became clear.The outcome revised the final tally for the eight teachers’ and graduates’ constituencies that went to polls on Oct 23. The BJP won two seats, the RJD two, the JD(U) one, Jan Suraaj one and Independents two.BJP functionaries had on Wednesday claimed Kumar had retained the Darbhanga Graduates’ seat. However, counting continued till Thursday evening when the preference transfers altered the result.Reacting to the victory, RJD national working president Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said the Darbhanga Graduates’ verdict was “the educated society’s open mandate against the NDA govt’s corruption, abuse of power, BJP’s repressive action against teachers and youth, and the NDA’s anti-people policies.”You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Patna | Silver Rate in Patna | Bank Holidays in Patna | Public Holidays in Patna | Patna AQI | Weather in Patna | Petrol Price in Patna | Diesel Price in Patna | CNG Price in Patna | LPG Price in PatnaStay updated with the latest Patna news. Download the TOI App.